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The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence in Scotland of Her...

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence in Scotland of Her Majesty The Queen.

The palace stands at the end of Edinburgh's Royal Mile against the spectacular backdrop of Arthur's Seat. This fine palace is closely associated with Scotland's rich history and is used by The Queen when carrying out official engagements in Scotland.

The State Apartments reflect the changing tastes of successive monarchs, and are renowned for their fine plasterwork ceilings and unrivalled collection of Brussels tapestries. They are furnished with numerous fine paintings and other works of art, many of which have long associations with Holyroodhouse.

The visit to Holyroodhouse includes Mary, Queen of Scots' Chambers and the Darnley Rooms, the setting for many dramatic episodes in Mary's short and turbulent reign. In the Palace's west corner tower are Mary's Bedchamber, described as 'the most famous room in Scotland', and her Outer Chamber, the scene of the murder of her Italian secretary, David Rizzio'.

During the summer months, you can join a guided tour of Holyrood Abbey, which lies adjacent to the Palace in the spectacular setting of Arthur's Seat. Escorted by Wardens dressed in their ancient hunting Stewart tartan, you will learn about the building's extraordinary history.

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“Must see!”

I'm a little bit of a history nerd and this was definitely one of my faves! Free audio guide is a plus. Definitely recommend for all visitors!

History and the Royal Family all rolled into one. Very comprehensive tour and very detailed. Well worth what may seem like an expensive admission but you can get a ticket for here, the castle and Britannia all in one.

Self guided tour with a hand held audio device ,quite heavy ,so I would recommend you have the earphones.The Mary Queen of Scots apartments were, for me the most interesting.Pretty well furnished,plenty of portraits, and some lovely plaster work on the ceilings,you do get a feel for how it was.Enjoyed an extremely good cream tea in their tea rooms and...
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Visited the Palace back in October - as a historian, I was rather excited to visit such an important site in Scottish History, however I found I was rather disappointed.
It took a short while to find the Palace on foot, when I did the lack of signage resulted in me approaching several wrong members of staff who pointed me...
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Not only does the gift shop stock goods labelled Holyrood House but it also stock Buckingham Palace goods. Some items are expensive but that is to be expected. I purchased a lovely Christmas decoration with the Royal crest on it x

Went hear with a group what a house very nice to have a look around and coffee at the end the staff made me a lovely cappuccino with a crown on it ask patrycja to make you one ( picture ) hope you have a great time to.

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Staying in Southside & Holyrood

Neighborhood Profile

Southside & Holyrood

Many of Edinburgh’s student hangouts gather around university buildings in Southside, the sort of neighborhood that supports a long string of second-hand shops and eateries serving ethnic food for just a few pounds. In August the student population is replaced by vast numbers of boisterous visitors here for the Fringe, Edinburgh’s world-class comedy and arts festival which headquarters itself here. Flanking Southside are two great parks. The Meadows is a vast flat and sporty space where football, rugby, tennis, cricket, croquet, and golf often all take place side by side. Kids in its big playgrounds add to the joyful noise. Far bigger and much wilder, Holyrood Park extends to the east and provides a real hike up Arthur’s Seat, but the district is best known as the site of Scotland’s Parliament and its premier Royal Palace—and their steady stream of sightseers.

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